The present invention relates to a method for continuously processing a silver halide color photographic photosensitive material. In particular, the present invention relates to a continuous processing method wherein the color developer replenisher to be used is remarkably reduced in amount.
In recent years, it is demanded to reduce the amount of a replenisher and also to reduce the amount of a waste water by regeneration of the waste water in order to prevent the environmental pollution. The reduction of the amount of a waste water, in particular, a color developer replenisher having a high BOD or COD is eargerly demanded.
In order to reduce the amount of the color developer to be replenished, some problems must be solved.
The replenisher acts to replenish components consumed in the development such as a developing agent and an alkali, thereby keeping the concentration of them in the color developer constant. In order to keep the concentration of the components in the color developer while reducing the amount of the replenisher, the concentration of the components in the replenisher must be increased as a matter of course.
One of problems caused in the reduction of the amount of the replenisher in the color development is that when the concentration of the color developing agent in the replenisher is increased, a precipitation is formed in a replenisher tank to cause troubles in the replenishing step and also to seriously vary the photographic characteristics.
Various techniques of preventing the color developing agent from precipitation were proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Publication for Opposition Purpose (hereinafter referred to as "J.P. KOKOKU") No. Sho 47-20743 discloses a technique wherein polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinyl pyrrolidone (homopolymer or copolymer) is used. However, the effect thereof is yet insufficient for attaining the object of the present invention.
Another object of the present invention is to solve a problem that when the replenisher is reduced in amount, the photographic characteristics are varied or, in particular, the sensitivity and the maximum density vary seriously depending on the difference in the processing scale.
No technique for solving these problems has been developed and, under these circumstances, it has been eagerly demanded to develop a technique of obtaining stable photographic characteristics even when the quantity of the color developer to be replenished is remarkably reduced.